FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention described and contemplated herein relates to a tapeless closure mechanism which can be included on packages, such as boxes, used for storing and shipping consumer products and other articles of manufacture.

BACKGROUND

Containers, such as boxes and cartons, are used for storing and shipping consumer products, supplies, food items, articles of manufacture, and many other items. During shipping, it is often important to prevent a container from unintentionally opening and undesirably exposing the item(s) inside or allowing the item(s) inside to dislodge or escape from the container.

Storage and shipping containers, including boxes and cartons, are often made of heavy weight paper, cardboard of several possible weights and types, plastic sheeting, similar materials, and combinations thereof. Tape, adhesive, staples, cording, string, other fasteners, and combinations thereof, are known and used for assembling boxes and cartons, but also for fastening them closed to retain items therein. Fasteners which do not require tape, adhesive, staples, etc., to keep boxes and cartons closed during shipping and storage would be welcomed.

SUMMARY

Tapeless closure mechanisms for fastening storage and shipping boxes and cartons closed during shipping and storage. More particularly, the tapeless closure mechanisms are generally integral with the material from which the boxes and cartons are formed and are operable without tape, adhesive, staples, or other closure devices. The tapeless closure devices described and contemplated herein maintain the box or carton in its closed configuration and, thereby, prevent item(s) in the box or carton from being exposed or allowed to escape from the box or carton.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will be further explained with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like structures are referred to by like numerals and/or letters throughout the several views. The drawings shown are not necessarily to scale, with emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a two dimensional cardboard form F1 which is designed to be folded and assembled into a box B1 having a first exemplary embodiment of a tapeless closure mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box and tapeless closure mechanism of FIG. 1 showing the box in its assembled configuration and the tab of the tapeless closure mechanism aligned with the slot;

FIGS. 3-5 provide perspective views of the box and tapeless closure mechanism of FIG. 1 in several sequential stages of operation;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a second two dimensional cardboard form F2 which is designed to be folded and assembled into a box B2 having a second exemplary embodiment of a tapeless closure mechanism which also includes a tear away tab;

FIG. 7 is a is a perspective view of the second box and a second embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism of FIG. 6, showing the box in its assembled configuration and the tab of the tapeless closure mechanism aligned with the slot;

FIGS. 8-10 provide perspective views of the second box and the second exemplary embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism of FIG. 6 in several sequential stages of operation;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a third cardboard box F2 having a third exemplary embodiment of a tapeless closure mechanism which includes a first and a second tapeless closure mechanism; and

FIGS. 12-14 provide perspective views of the third box and the third exemplary embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism of FIG. 11 in several sequential stages of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention described and contemplated herein provides tapeless closure mechanisms for fastening storage and shipping boxes and cartons closed during shipping and storage. More particularly, as described in detail below, the tapeless closure mechanisms are generally integral with the material from which the boxes and cartons are formed and are operable without tape, adhesive, staples, or other closure devices. The tapeless closure devices described and contemplated herein maintain the box or carton in its closed configuration and, thereby, prevent item(s) in the box or carton from being exposed or allowed to escape from the box or carton.

It should be understood that, the shipping and storage containers with which the tapeless closure mechanisms are used include not only boxes and cartons, but include any shipping and storage container having a plurality of generally sheet-like components or sections, each of which may have surfaces which are planar, flat, curved, etc., and which are assembled and cooperate to define and maintain an external three-dimensional shape and an internal space for receiving and holding items such as consumer goods, supplies, food items, articles of manufacture, etc. While the shipping and storage containers discussed and shown hereinbelow have rectilinear three dimensional shapes, as will be recognized by persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art, other shapes are equally possible and practicable, including without limitation, cylinders, elongated rectilinear or cylindrical shapes, spherical, spheroid, and other shapes.

It should also be understood that the boxes with which the tapeless closure mechanisms are useful may be made of any of several flexible materials including, but not limited to, paper (preferably heavy weight paper), cardboard, plastic sheeting, and other materials which are available in sheets, are foldable, and sufficiently rigid that when assembled and configured into the box, the external shape is generally maintained during normal shipping and storage.

In the industry of cardboard shipping boxes, two-dimensional patterns are designed and used to produce (e.g., by cutting, die stamping, etc.) two-dimensional cardboard forms which are capable of being folded into three dimensional shipping boxes. Many such two dimensional patterns and cardboard forms are designed to produce three dimensional boxes without the necessity of using tape, adhesive, staples or other fasteners to maintain the assembled configuration of the boxes. Sometimes the two dimensional cardboard forms have perforated lines which facilitate tearing the cardboard to form one or more free edges which may be necessary for the form to be assembled into a box having the intended three dimensional shape. Despite the versatility and utility of such two dimensional cardboard forms, closure mechanisms are often absent or require use of tape, adhesive, staples, or other fasteners to keep the box closed during shipping and storage.

Hereinafter, for simplicity, the shipping and storage container will be described as a cardboard box, which has a rectilinear external three dimensional shape. Such description is not intended to define or limit the type or shape of the container, or its material of construction, with which the tapeless closure mechanisms are useful.

As will be described in further detail below, the tapeless closure mechanisms are provided on storage and shipping containers (boxes, cartons, etc.) to fasten and keep them closed during shipping and storage. The tapeless closure mechanism includes a slot and a tab 16 which are provided on adjacent elements (e.g., one or more of a wall, a lid, a penal, a flap, etc.) of a storage and shipping container and which are aligned with one another when the container is assembled. Furthermore, the tab has an arrowhead with a width which is no greater than the width of the slot, as well as one or two laterally extending hooks (i.e., extending from opposite sides of the arrowhead), each of which is foldable against the arrowhead, thereby permitted the tab to be inserted through the slot. After the tab is inserted through the slot, each of the one or two hooks tends to unfold to a position in which withdrawal of the tab from the slot is no longer possible, consequently, keeping the container closed.

With reference now to an exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, a two dimensional cardboard form F1, shown in FIG. 1, is designed to be folded and assembled into a box B1 having a generally rectilinear external three dimensional shape and including a first exemplary embodiment of a tapeless closure mechanism 10, as shown in FIGS. 2-5. The tapeless closure mechanism 10 comprises a slot 12 having a slot width 14 and a tab 16 having a total tab width 18 which is greater than the slot width 14.

As will be described in further detail below, the slot 12 and the tab 16 positioned so that when the two dimensional cardboard form F1 is folded and assembled into a box B1 having the aforesaid external three dimensional shape, the tab 16 and its total width 18 are aligned with the slot 12 and its width 14. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the slot 12 is positioned on a side S1 of the box B1 and the tab 16 is positioned and attached on a panel P1 of the box B1. The side S1 and the panel P1 of the box B1 are adjacent one another when the box B1 is in its assembled three dimensional shape, as shown in FIGS. 2-5.

The tab 16 includes an arrowhead 20 having an arrowhead width 22, a folded edge 24 by which it is attached to a panel P1 of the box B1, and an opposite leading edge 26 which is insertable through the slot 12 which is in an aligned position on an adjacent side S1 of the box B1. The arrowhead width 22 is no greater than the slot width 14. The tab 16 also includes one or more hooks, such as a first hook 28 and a second hook 30 which extend from opposite sides of the arrowhead 20 at respective folded edges 28a, 30a. The total tab width 18 equals the total sum of the arrowhead width 22 plus the widths of each of the first and second hooks 28, 30. Furthermore, the total tab width 18 is greater than the slot width 14 for a purpose which will become apparent hereinbelow. As will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art, in some embodiments, the tab 16 may include one hook, such as either a first hook 28, or a second hook 30, with the remaining components and dimensions remaining substantially the same as described herein.

Unlike the arrowhead 20, the first and second hooks 28, 30 are not attached to the panel P1 of the box B1 (see FIG. 2), whereby each of the first and second hooks 28, 30 is foldable against the arrowhead 20, as shown in phantom in FIG. 3. As can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the first and second hooks 28, 30 are folded against the arrowhead 20, the tab 16 has a reduced width which is the same as the arrowhead width 22 and, consequently, the tab 16 is fully insertable through the slot 12. After the tab 16 is inserted through the slot 12, as long as the folded edges 28a, 30a are not creased, each of the first and second hooks 28, 30 will move out of their folded positions and toward the unfolded positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. With the first and second hooks 28, 30 in their unfolded positions, the tab 16 has an effective width greater than the slot width 14 and possibly to its total tab width 18. Since the effective tab width is greater than the slot width 14, when the first and second hooks 28, 30 unfold, the tab 16 and the arrowhead 20 cannot be withdrawn from the slot 12 and, consequently, the box B1 remains closed.

A first alternative embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism 110 is shown in FIGS. 6-10. FIG. 6 shows another two dimensional cardboard form F2, which is designed to be folded and assembled into a box B2 having a generally rectilinear external three dimensional shape and including a second exemplary embodiment of a tapeless closure mechanism 110, as shown in FIGS. 7-10. This second exemplary embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism 110 comprises a slot 112 having a slot width 114 and a tab 116 having a total tab width 118 which is greater than the slot width 114.

As will be described in further detail below, the slot 112 and the tab 116 positioned so that when the two dimensional cardboard form F2 is folded and assembled into the box B2 having the aforesaid external three dimensional shape, the tab 116 and its total width 118 are aligned with the slot 112 and its width 114. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-10, the slot 112 is positioned on a panel P2 of the box B2 and the tab 116 is positioned and attached on a side S2 of the box B2. The panel P2 and the side S2 of the box B2 are adjacent one another when the box B2 is in its assembled three dimensional shape, as shown in FIGS. 6-10. It is noted that the panel P2 is not visible in the assembled and closed configuration of the box B2 shown in FIGS. 8-10 because, to close the box B2, the panel P2 is inserted into the open side of the box B2 and behind the side S2 having the tab 116 extending therefrom.

The tab 116 includes an arrowhead 120 having an arrowhead width 122, a folded edge 124 by which it is attached to the side S2 of the box B2, and an opposite leading edge 126 which is insertable through the slot 112 which is in an aligned position on an adjacent panel P2 of the box B2 (or on a folded edge between the adjacent panel P2 and a lid L of the box B2). The arrowhead width 122 is no greater than the slot width 114. The tab 116 also includes one or more hooks, such as a first hook 128 and a second hook 130 which extend from opposite sides of the arrowhead 120 at respective folded edges 128a, 130a. The total tab width 118 equals the total sum of the arrowhead width 122 plus the widths of each of the first and second hooks 128, 130. Furthermore, the total tab width 118 is greater than the slot width 114 for a purpose which will become apparent hereinbelow.

Unlike the arrowhead 120, the first and second hooks 128, 130 are not attached to the side S2 of the box B2 (see FIG. 7), whereby each of the first and second hooks 128, 130 is foldable against the arrowhead 120, as shown in phantom in FIG. 8. As can be seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the first and second hooks 128, 130 are folded against the arrowhead 120, the tab 116 has a reduced width which is the same as the arrowhead width 122 and, consequently, the tab 116 is fully insertable through the slot 112. Optionally, the arrowhead 120 may be indirectly connected to the side S2 of the box B2 by a hinged section 132 which is connected to the arrowhead 120 by its folded edge 124 and to the side S2 by a hinge fold 134. The hinged section 132 would allow the tab 116 and arrowhead 120 to be pulled a bit further away from the side S2 of the box B2 which may make easier one, or both, of folding the first and second hooks 128, 130 against the arrowhead 120 and inserting the tab 116 through the slot 112.

After the tab 116 is inserted through the slot 112, as long as the folded edges 128a, 130a are not creased, each of the first and second hooks 128, 130 will move out of their folded positions and toward the unfolded positions shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. With the first and second hooks 128, 130 in their unfolded positions, the tab 116 has an effective width greater than the slot width 114 and possibly to its total tab width 118. Since the effective tab width is greater than the slot width 114, when the first and second hooks 128, 130 unfold, the tab 116 and the arrowhead 120 cannot be withdrawn from the slot 112 and, consequently, the box B1 remains closed.

The first alternative embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism 110 shown in FIGS. 6-10, includes an additional feature which facilitates opening the box B2 upon arrival at its destination with the tapeless closure mechanism 110 engaged as described above. When the tapeless closure mechanism 110 is engaged, there is no direct access to the first and second hooks 128, 130 whereby they could be refolded to allow the tab 116 to be withdrawn from the slot 112 and, thereby, open the box. To address this situation and facilitate opening the box B2, a tear away tab 136 is provided attached or connected to the tab 116 of the tapeless closure mechanism 110.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-10, the tear away tab 136 is defined in the side S2 of the box B2 by a perforated outline 138 and an optional adjacent finger opening 140. When the box B2 having the tapeless closure mechanism 110 engaged is to be opened, a recipient presses a finger such as, without limitation, a thumb, against the tear away tab 136 (or into the finger opening 140 and against the tear away tab 136) with sufficient force to tear the perforated line 138 and pull out the tear away tab 136. When the tear away tab 136 is torn and pulled out of the side S2 of the box B2, the tapeless closure mechanism 110 is also torn and pulled out, which opens the box B2.

A second alternative embodiment of the tapeless closure mechanism, which actually includes a first tapeless closure mechanism 210 and a second tapeless closure mechanism 310, is shown in FIGS. 11-14. The box B3 shown in FIGS. 11-14 has a generally rectilinear external three dimensional shape and includes a first lid flap L1 and a second L2 which fold and partially overlap with one another to close the box B3. The first and second tapeless closure mechanisms 210, 310 are each very similar to the first exemplary embodiment of the tapeless closure 10 mechanism shown in FIGS. 1-5. More particularly, the first tapeless closure mechanism 210 comprises a first slot 212 having a first slot width 214 and a first tab 216 having a total first tab width 218 which is greater than the first slot width 214. Likewise, the second tapeless closure mechanism 310 comprises a second slot 312 having a second slot width 314 and a second tab 316 having a total second tab width 318 which is greater than the second slot width 314.

The first slot 212 is positioned on the first lid flap L1 and the first tab 216 positioned on the second lid flap L2 of the box B3 so that, when the first and second lid flaps L1, L2 are folded and partially overlapped to close the box B3, the first tab 216 and its total width 218 are aligned with the first slot 212 and its width 214. The second slot 312 is positioned on the first lid Dap L1 and the second tab 316 positioned on the second lid flap L2 of the box B3 so that, when the first and second lid flaps L1, L2 are folded and partially overlapped to close the box B3, the second tab 316 and its total width 318 are aligned with the second slot 312 and its width 314.

The first tab 216 of the first tapeless closure mechanism 210 includes a first arrowhead 220 having a first arrowhead width 222, a first folded edge 224 by which it is attached to the first lid flap L1 of the box B3, and an opposite first leading edge 226 which is insertable through the first slot 212 which is in an aligned position on the second lid flap L2 of the box B3. The first arrowhead width 222 is no greater than the first slot width 214. The first tab 216 also includes one or more hooks, such as a first hook 228 and a second hook 230 which extend from opposite sides of the first arrowhead 220 at respective folded edges 228a, 230a. The total first tab width 218 equals the total sum of the first arrowhead width 222 plus the widths of each of the first and second hooks 228, 230. Furthermore, the total first tab width 218 is greater than the first slot width 214 for a purpose which will become apparent hereinbelow.

Similarly, the second tab 316 of the second tapeless closure mechanism 310 includes a second arrowhead 320 having a second arrowhead width 322, a second folded edge 324 by which it is attached to the first lid flap L1 of the box B3, and an opposite second leading edge 326 which is insertable through the second slot 312 which is in an aligned position on the second lid flap L2 of the box B3. The second arrowhead width 322 is no greater than the second slot width 314. The second tab 316 also includes one or more hooks, such as a first hook 328 and a second hook 330 which extend from opposite sides of the second arrowhead 320 at respective folded edges 328a, 330a. The total second tab width 318 equals the total sum of the second arrowhead width 322 plus the widths of each of the first and second hooks 328, 330. Furthermore, the total second tab width 318 is greater than the second slot width 314 for a purpose which will become apparent hereinbelow.

Unlike the first and second arrowheads 220, 320, the first and second hooks 228, 230, 328, 330, respectively, are not attached to the first lid flap L1 of the box B3 (see FIG. 11), whereby each of the first and second hooks 228, 330, 328, 330 of the first and second tapeless closure mechanisms 210, 310, respectively, is foldable against the respective first and second arrowhead 220, 330 as shown in FIG. 12. As can be seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the first and second hooks 228, 230 are folded against the first arrowhead 220, the first tab 216 has a reduced width which is the same as the first arrowhead width 222 and, consequently, the first tab 216 is fully insertable through the first slot 212. Furthermore, as can also be seen in FIGS. 12 and 13, when the first and second hooks 328, 330 are folded against the second arrowhead 320, the second tab 316 has a reduced width which is the same as the second arrowhead width 322 and, consequently, the second tab 316 is fully insertable through the second slot 212.

After the first tab 216 of the first tapeless closure mechanisms 210 is inserted through the first slot 212, as long as the folded edges 228a, 230a are not creased, each of the first and second hooks 228, 230 will move out of their folded positions and toward the unfolded positions shown in FIG. 11. With the first and second hooks 228, 230 in their unfolded positions, the first tab 216 has an effective width greater than the first slot width 214 and possibly to its total first tab width 218. Since the effective tab width is greater than the first slot width 214, when the first and second hooks 228, 230 unfold, the first tab 216 and the first arrowhead 220 cannot be withdrawn from the first slot 212 and, consequently, a portion of the lid of the box B3 remains closed.

Operation of the second tapeless closure mechanism 310 is the same as described above for the first tapeless closure mechanism 310. When both of the first and second tapeless closure mechanisms 210, 310 are engaged, the first and second lid flaps L1, L2 of the box B3 are held closed.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention described hereinabove are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described and contemplated herein. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.